Epik High Make ‘Wonderful’ Return to World, Heatseekers Album Charts
Epik High's new album 'We've Done Something Wonderful' debuts at No. 2 on the World Albums chart with Tablo, Mithra Jin and DJ Tukutz's second-largest opening week.
Epik High‘s new album We’ve Done Something Wonderful is equal parts celebratory and somber, but the hip-hop trio are surely feeling the former with their performance on the Billboard charts.
The veteran act’s new LP debuts at No. 2 on the World Albums chart, selling 1,000 albums in the week ending Oct. 26, 2017, according to Nielsen Music. As the World Albums ranks traditional album sales, this makes them the biggest-selling K-pop act in terms of album sales in America this week. Even as BTS‘ Love Yourself: Her album spends a historic sixth week on the Billboard 200, We’ve Done Something Wonderful was lower in track equivalent album units and, more heavily, streaming equivalent album units to miss an entry on the Billboard 200. This also marks the first week BTS has not been at No. 1 on World Albums since Love Yourself: Her‘s chart-topping debut on Oct. 7.
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This is Tablo, Mithra Jin and DJ Tukutz’s second-largest opening week, the first coming from their last album, 2014’s Shoebox, that started with 2,000 sold and earned the guys their first No. 1 on World Albums and a Top 10 entry on the Heatseekers Albums chart. We’ve Done Something Wonderful also starts at No. 21 on Heatseekers this week.
Overall, Epik High has earned four entries on World Albums with Wonderful (No. 2) and Shoebox (No. 1), along with 99 (which hit No. 13 in November 2012) and Epilogue (which also peaked at No. 13 in March 2010 as one of the earliest K-pop entries on World Albums ever).
Musically, Epik High indicates it was a journey to declare they had “done something wonderful.” Through honest and at-times self- deprecating lyrics, the group discuss sacrificing for your dreams on the gorgeous “Lost One” featuring Nell singer Kim Jong Wan; anxiety with success on “Bleed;” and general anguish on the English-language standout “Here Come the Regrets” featuring Lee Hi. A fascinating blend of K-pop stars help the band with their most intimate stories on record (Lee Suhyun of Akdong Musician‘s soft soprano shines on “The Benefits of Heartbreak” while Crush croons through the heartbreaking-yet-hopeful album closer “Munbae-Dong”) along with their most carefree (look out for a multi-generational, hip-hop collective on “No Thanxxx” featuring Winner‘s Mino, Simon Dominic & The Quiett).
Elsewhere, Epik High also make their debut on the Social 50 chart at No. 22, joining fellow K-pop acts like BTS (at No. 1), Wanna One (No. 12), Seventeen (No. 19) and EXO (No. 25) this week. Look out for a more in-depth breakdown of their social gains on Billboard soon.